Home Improvement Today?

This wasn't today but wanted to show the work ive done so far... I am building a planter where there was just weeds and a mound of mulch... going to add a few more boards to get the planter taller, just have to get them... but here it is...

 

This. Can't emphasize enough to understand the plant's mature size and give enough space. You might think it looks ridiculous at first, but use young, small plants and space accordingly for mature size. Young plants will adapt better to your yard's conditions, whereas a larger, more mature plant will cot more and struggle/go into shock trying to adapt. You'll also save a lot of money this way.

Keep enough space between plants and foundation for future maintenance/house painting and prevent soil and moisture issues around your foundation.

Used curved lines in your bed edges and hardscape/paths to break up all the sharp right angles for your house structure, lot lines, and fences.

You really should go take a look at some books at Barnes & Noble, take pictures of other houses where you like the look, and go to the local nursery to see what they have, because that is the stuff suited to your region.

Also consider drainage and irrigation needs and where those lines will run.

Before (actually, not before before...but after before. This is all hardscape in, just put plantings in):




After. Not too easy to see it all, but with the exception of the two small trees near the patio and the olive, all the plants were 1 gallon pots, about 1 ft across:

 

landscaping has been my project for the past week and will be for most of the spring.

What i've learned so far is that lowes/homedepot are not the best place to buy landscaping material.

I got 5 6' tall emerald green arborvitaes for $100 at a nursery. Home depot wanted close to $50 each for similar size. The nursery also has mulch cheaper. 5 bags for $10 instead of $3/$4 each.

I'll be using a few cubic yards of top soil to fill low spots and level the yard, then landscape the perimeter with hardy shade / part sun type plants.

 

My wife buys all of her plants at auction. She uses this website http://www.auctionzip.com/nj.html to find nursery auctions. She searches for nursery as a keyword. That is the NJ website we are in PA so prices may vary.

Last week we went to a nursery auction and got 5 bloodgood jap maples 5-6', an orange flame jap maple 7-8', 2 4' Cherokee brave red dogwoods, 5 6' fruit trees, 2 black pussy willow bushes, 3 winter flame dogwood bushes, and 6 strawberry plants for about $240.

 

that looks really nice! Gonna attempt to do a 4' façade on the front of my house....Is that real or cultured stone?

 

Real , 5"

Montana sandstone

 

Wow that looks awesome

 

Today, I took the garbage out.
A couple weeks ago I finished the window trim in the room i gutted two years ago.

 

that does look good

 

Continued my weekend project with some free rocks and trying a different type of grass in the patch under the tree that won't grow.

 

No grass will grow well in the shade. There are shade tolerant varieties, however the keyword is tolerant. They still need a decent amount of sunlight. Just mulch it or use a different type of ground cover.

 

This ^^^ 100%

 

Just about finished the plantings at the big pond at my client's house

 

^^ nice ^^

 

Picked up a new tool to help with outdoor projects!

 

Very nice. I'd run one of those into the ground.

 

I probably will too. It's a 2011 with 144 hours on it, I've had it 2 days and put 4 hours on it already. I'll probably use it a lot more than the previous owners did. Then again, I feel like I must to justify the cost. Most expensive tool I've ever bought if you don't count a truck, and largest check I've ever written. Debating on getting a kubota 3pt backhoe the hospital is asking $400-500 for just to get it out of their grounds building. But I need a trailer first....

 

Oh, and I don't have a socket big enough to take the mower blades off to sharpen, so yet again I have to buy more tools.

 

I've used this excuse a time or two to get some new tools

 

This is, quite possibly, the 4th thing I've bought in the last couple of months that requires more tools... Tractor, 3D printer (tools for finishing printed objects), table saw, and a router. Had to build tables for the last 2 as well.